Vardzia , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In an isolated mountain valley on the southern edge of the former Soviet Union stands a cliff honey-combed with caves .

This is Vardzia -- a cave monastery built in the 12th century by Georgian kings and queens .

In the 800 years since its construction , Vardzia has been destroyed by an earthquake and further damaged by invading armies . In the final days of winter , when snow coats the surrounding peaks , the caves look all but deserted .

But Vardzia does have several permanent residents : seven Orthodox monks who have become the de-facto guardians of this ancient site .

They live much like their ancestors did , in spartan cave dwellings on the side of the cliff . They draw their water from a spring deep within the mountain that is only accessible via a series of tunnels . The well is called `` Tamar 's Tears , '' after Queen Tamar , who completed construction of Vardzia eight centuries ago after the death of her father King Giorgi .

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One of the monks who lives in the cliff is Father Lazar . He roams the tunnels and staircases that hug the cliff-side , dressed in flowing black robes . Though he is only 28 , his thick beard and pony-tail make him look far older .

`` It puts joy in my heart to live here , '' the priest says , as he looks out of the doorway of his incense-scented cave at the rushing river below , where he sometimes fishes for trout . `` In the winter this is a quiet place . The frost sets in and the trees die . It is a holy place . A spiritual place . ''

In fact , Father Lazar says aside from the monks , the only other people who live in this valley , are the nuns who inhabit a small convent beyond a bend in the river .

Speaking a mixture of Georgian , Russian and English , the monk takes visitors on a small tour of the complex , pointing out the remnants of an irrigation system that once provided water to up to 30,000 residents .

He also shows Vardzia 's crown jewels : two cave chapels whose domed ceilings are hewn directly out of the rock . The domes are coated with ornate , icons , from the 8th century , depicting saints , Georgian royalty , and the dog-shaped demons that await the damned on Judgment Day .

In the summer , the monks endure a different kind of torment which disturbs their ascetic mountain life : tourists .

`` For the priests , it is not very good because they make a lot of noise , '' Father Lazar says . `` Different kinds of tourists come here , some of them yell a lot and run around here and there . They holler . ''

Vardzia has long been a tourist destination for hardy tourists willing to brave hours of driving down pot-holed mountain roads . But road crews are now re-paving the road - and there are big plans to further develop this quiet corner of Georgia .

`` Visitors to Georgia are going to Vardzia and there is no infrastructure there at all , '' says Tengiz Bendukidze , an executive with Rakeen , an Emirati real estate development company . `` That 's why Rakeen is going to invest up to 20 million dollars . And we are going to build a 4-star hotel and villas also . ''

There are big hopes that through tourism , Georgia can overcome the chaos and conflict of nearly two decades of post-Soviet independence . In years gone by , this small Caucasus country was a prize destination , due to its unique combination of rich cuisine , ancient mountain-top monasteries , Black Sea coast line and full-throated polyphonic choral music .

`` During the Soviet era , Georgia was the number one tourist attraction for almost all the Soviet Union , '' said Nika Gilauri , the prime minister of Georgia , in an interview with CNN . `` We are getting back now this title for the region . ''

Executives at Rakeen say they are still working out the final concept of the new Vardzia hotel project .

`` The main attraction is the caves . The cave city . And also we 'll include -LSB- a -RSB- service package like hunting , rafting , camping and stuff like that , '' says Bendukidze .

The new hotel is expected to be constructed on a hillside directly across the river from the cave complex , on a patch of territory that was occupied by a Soviet-era hotel until it was demolished a few years ago .

Father Lazar has little positive to say about the old communist hotel ... or its capitalist replacement .

`` It 's a bad idea to build a big hotel right there , directly across from Vardzia , '' he says . `` If there 's going to be a bar or a night club there , then that 's also not good . ''

But , he concedes , the tourists will probably appreciate the view .

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Vardzia is an isolated mountain valley , home to a 12th century cave monastery

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In 800 years it 's been destroyed by an earthquake and damaged by invading armies

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It looks deserted , but the caves have some dedicated residents : seven Orthodox monks

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Tourists boost the local economy , but they are also disturbing the monks ' way of life